August 22, 2014

“Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Psalm 73:25, 26 ESV

As I read this passage this morning, I find the words so familiar. I’ve read them, said them and sung them so many times before. But this morning, I stop, and I ask myself how true they are in my life as I live it today.

Now I have sung about this, preached it, and even lived it in times past, but I need to look at my life this day and honestly discover it not to be completely the truth. That’s a hard blow. (I’d like to be perfect. I’m not.)

I read the first line. “Whom have I in heaven but You?” I agree. This is true. God is the one I have in heaven, but then I think of my husband, and many others also now, and I look forward to seeing them again.

I think about my husband and his preaching before he left this earth forever. He so longed to meet his Saviour. He sang about it. He preached it. His face would light up. He was expectant. I sang those songs with him. I preached those words, but have I grown too fond of the things of life? I wonder…..

“And there is nothing I desire besides You”. Is that true? I’m disappointed as I face the fact that there are indeed many desires that I have apart from the desire for God, and the truth sinks home. There are other things I desire even before I desire God, though for the most part, I want what is God’s will for my life. So, if I sing this……am I really singing the truth?

“My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

My flesh and my heart certainly do fail…that is the truth. I’m so glad for the second part of the verse, “but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”.

Yes. He strengthens me through these times of weakness and I do choose him, no matter how imperfectly. I am often completely overwhelmed by the evidences of His love in the things of my life. It blows me away!

I feel especially today, though, that the enemy might be trying to undermine my faith. I feel this because after spending time looking into this, I became very weak. It felt like an attack, both physically and spiritually. So I am asking my praying friends for prayers, and I want to bring this to your attention in several ways.

My need today is to be deep into the word of God, on a daily basis, so deep that truths strike my heart and change my very being. My need is to look at myself and my life honestly. Anyone can parade anything but not actually live it out.

My need is for repentance and renewal in and by the Spirit. My need is to be always aware that the spiritual is every bit as real as the physical and that I have an enemy who is devious and deceptive to the core and who does not want me to prevail. He puts many things in my path daily to distract and draw me away from the truths of God.

Will I turn afresh to God and his truths this day? Repent? Or will I allow myself to be turned away? It’s my choice to make.

In His strength I will do it. I will keep my eyes and my focus on Him.

Father, I come to You today knowing that I fall so short in so many ways and confessing my waywardness and my need for Your strength to live the way You want me to and to become all that You would have me to be while I am still here. I ask Your protection from the enemy as he seeks to blind me and derail me from Your perfect will for me. I ask for discernment in this from Your word and by Your Spirit.

I am so thankful Father, for Your love and Your patience, Your grace, Your mercy and Your forgiveness and I thank and praise You for all You have been doing in my life and all You will be doing. I ask these things in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

I will share two of my favourite verses with you, followed by a favourite chorus.

Here are the two verses…..

“For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength….”(Isaiah 30:15 AMP)

“I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD;………..” (Psalms 71:16 NKJV)

Here is the chorus……

Lord, You are more precious than silver;
Lord, You are more costly than gold;
Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds;
And nothing I desire compares with You.

❤ ❤ ❤

Ann Justin